Kari L Tucker
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 279640 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Kari L Tucker |
| NOMBRES | Kari L |
| APELLIDO | Tucker |
| FIRMA | TUCKER K L |
| AFILIACIONES | University of Massachusetts Lowell |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7640-662X |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 67 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 267 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 67 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 1988 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2025 |
| ÍNDICE H | 9 |
Disproportionately higher asthma risk and incidence with high fructose corn syrup, but not sucrose intake, among Black young adults
Objective: There have been unsafe levels of unpaired fructose in the high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in US beverages, and research/case study evidence shows that their intake is associated with greater asthma prevalence/risk/incidence, a debilitating disease, likely due to fructose malabsorption, gut fructosylation and gut dysbiosis mechanisms. The ‘unexplained’ asthma epidemic has disproportionately affected children and Black individuals, group…
Participatory Surveillance and Candidacy
Actively involving people in self-monitoring and management during their pregnancy is an emerging clinical and social practice. Self-monitoring of blood pressure and self-testing for proteinuria, key diagnostic tests for pre-eclampsia, are becoming commonplace in hypertensive pregnancies. While evidence exists on the acceptability and feasibility of self-monitoring blood pressure, evidence for self-testing for proteinuria in pregnancy is thin, wi…
The Association between Food Insecurity and Insomnia Symptoms among Young Adults in Puerto Rico and the Mediating Role of Psychological Distress Symptoms
Residents of Puerto Rico face a high burden of food insecurity (FI), which has been associated with insomnia symptoms (IS). However, this association remains understudied in Puerto Rican young adults, a vulnerable group experiencing an elevated prevalence of FI and poor sleep. We evaluated the association between FI and IS and the mediating role of psychological distress symptoms among young adults in Puerto Rico. Data are derived from the PR-OUT…
Red meat consumption, incident CVD and the influence of dietary quality in the Jackson Heart Study
Objectives: We investigated the prospective associations between meat consumption and CVD and whether these relationships differ by dietary quality among African American (AA) adults. Design: Baseline diet was assessed with a regionally specific FFQ. Unprocessed red meat included beef and pork (120 g/serving); processed meat included sausage, luncheon meats and cured meat products (50 g/serving). Incident total CVD, CHD, stroke and heart failure …
Examination of the Allostatic Load Construct and Its Longitudinal Association With Health Outcomes in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study
OBJECTIVE: Despite evidence on allostatic load (AL) as a model explaining associations between stress and disease, there is no consensus on its operationalization. This study aimed to contrast various AL constructs and their longitudinal associations with disease and disability. METHODS: Baseline and 5-year follow-up data from 738 adults participating in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study were used. Five AL scores were created by summing the pr…
Food insecurity and physical functioning in Boston area Puerto Rican older adults
Objective: Prior studies have found evidence of a relationship between food insecurity and functional limitations among older populations in the USA. Design: This is a longitudinal investigation of food security in relation to functional limitations, assessed as Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scores. Setting: The Greater Boston, MA area. Participants: 1461 Boston Puerto Rican Health study parti…
Race/Ethnic Differences, Skin Tone, and Memory Among Older Latinos in the United States
Findings support the importance of examining self-identified race and skin tone in Latino aging research. Further investigation is needed to understand the stubborn intra-Latino racial disparities in memory performance and surprising adverse cognitive performance among "white"-toned relative to darker-toned Puerto Ricans in Boston
Reply to Verhoef et al
Skin Tone, Discrimination, and Allostatic Load in Middle-Aged and Older Puerto Ricans
OBJECTIVE: A growing body of research suggests that skin tone may be a health risk indicator for Hispanics. Black and darker-skinned Hispanics have worse mental and physical outcomes than White and lighter-skinned Hispanics. Discrimination exposure has been implicated as a risk factor that may explain the association between skin tone and health. However, there is scant research examining the interrelationship between skin tone, discrimination, a…
Habitually skipping breakfast is associated with chronic inflammation
Objective: We examined whether breakfast frequency was associated with chronic inflammatory, as assessed by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Kailuan community, China. Participants: Included were 70 092 Chinese adults without CVD and cancer in 2014 with CRP concentrations Results: Breakfast frequency was associated with CRP concentration ( P -trend P -difference P -trend P -interactio…
You Probably Won't Notice Any Symptoms
Pregnancy is not a disease or illness, but requires clinical surveillance as life-threatening complications can develop. Preeclampsia, one such potentially serious complication, puts both mother and baby at risk. Self-monitoring blood pressure in the general population is well established, and its potential in pregnancy is currently being explored. In the context of self-monitoring, the information and guidance given to women regarding hypertensi…
Sex differences in the interaction of short-term particulate matter exposure and psychosocial stressors on C-reactive protein in a Puerto Rican cohort
There is substantial evidence linking particulate matter air pollution with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, health disparities between populations may exist due to imprecisely defined non-innate susceptibility factors. Psychosocial stressors are associated with cardiovascular disease and may increase non-innate susceptibility to air-pollution. We investigated whether the association between short-term changes in ambient particula…
Food insecurity and dietary intake by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation status among mainland US Puerto Rican adults after the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Objective: The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) increased monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and expanded SNAP eligibility, yet limited evidence exists on the potential impact of ARRA on dietary intake among at-risk individuals. We aimed to examine pre-/post-ARRA differences in food insecurity (FI) and dietary intake by SNAP participation status. Design: Pre/post analysis. Setting: Boston, MA, USA.…
The Association Between Perceived Discrimination and Allostatic Load in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study
Perceived discrimination remains a common stressor and may be a determinant of AL for Puerto Ricans, although the type of perceived discrimination may have differing effects. Further research is needed to better understand the ways in which major lifetime and everyday perceived discrimination operate to effect physiological systems among Puerto Ricans
Food Insecurity and Odds of High Allostatic Load in Puerto Rican Adults
OBJECTIVE: Limited evidence demonstrates pathways linking food insecurity (FI) to chronic disease. Allostatic load (AL) may elucidate potential pathways, capturing both primary (neuroendocrine, inflammation) and secondary (metabolic, cardiovascular) physiological disturbances. We examined the longitudinal association of FI with 5-year AL and primary and secondary subsystem dysregulation and tested moderation by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance P…
Health conditions and lifestyle risk factors of adults living in Puerto Rico
Adults living in Puerto Rico have multiple lifestyles risk factors and high prevalence of chronic diseases, namely cardiometabolic and psychological conditions. Comprehensive epidemiological studies are needed to identify contributors to chronic disease, including lifestyle behaviors. Concerted multi-level public health and clinical programs should be prioritized to help this population improve their health
Sociodemographic factors are associated with dietary patterns in Mexican schoolchildren
Objective Childhood obesity has increased rapidly in Mexico, along with changes in the food environment. However, little is known about the dietary patterns (DP) of Mexican children. We aimed to characterize the DP of schoolchildren and to analyse their associations with sociodemographic factors. Design Cross-sectional analysis. Dietary and sociodemographic information was obtained, including a single 24 h recall, socio-economic status (SES), geo…
Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors, and Health Conditions of Dominican Adults Living in Puerto Rico
Challenges and opportunities in establishing a collaborative multisite observational study of chronic diseases and lifestyle factors among adults in Puerto Rico
Epidemiological studies in PR can be successfully implemented in partnership with multiple institutions. Effective recruitment and implementation requires concerted planning and continued involvement from partners, frequent quality control, brief interviews, reasonable incentives, and thorough training/re-training of culturally-sensitive interviewers. Further studies are feasible and needed to help address highly prevalent chronic conditions in P…
Developing a cooperative multicenter study in Latin America
This report examines the challenges of conducting a multicenter, cross-sectional study of countries with diverse cultures, and shares the lessons learned. The Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS) was used as a feasibility study involving the most populous cities of eight countries in Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela) in 2014–2015, about 40% of the population of the America…
Perceptions and Motivations to Prevent Heart Disease among Puerto Ricans
Culturally-tailored CVD-prevention programs for Puerto Ricans should include multiple behavioral and social approaches, and draw on intrinsic motivators while reducing barriers to help enhance efficacy and sustainability
Age- and gender-specific associations between insomnia and falls in Boston Puerto Rican adults
Intakes of apple juice, fruit drinks and soda are associated with prevalent asthma in US children aged 2–9 years
Objective High soft drink consumption has been linked with asthma. Anecdotal evidence links high-fructose corn syrup with asthma. The receptor of advanced glycation end products (RAGE) has emerged as a mediator of asthma. The objectives of the present study were to: (i) assess the correlation between intake of beverages containing excess free fructose (EFF beverages) and asthma in children; and (ii) epidemiologically test the mechanistic hypothes…
Relative validity of a semi-quantitative, web-based FFQ used in the ‘Snart Forældre’ cohort – a Danish study of diet and fertility
Objective To assess the relative validity of a semi-quantitative, web-based FFQ completed by female pregnancy planners in the Danish ‘Snart Forældre’ study. Design We validated a web-based FFQ based on the FFQ used in the Danish National Birth Cohort against a 4 d food diary (FD) and assessed the relative validity of intakes of foods and nutrients. We compared means and medians of intakes, and calculated Pearson correlation coefficients and de-at…
Mobility limitations and fear of falling in non-English speaking older Mexican-Americans
Older Mexican-Americans who do not speak or understand spoken English have a higher rate of mobility limitations and fear of falling than their English-speaking counterparts
Approaching Health Disparities From a Population Perspective
Addressing health disparities has been a national challenge for decades. The National Institutes of Health-sponsored Centers for Population Health and Health Disparities are the first federal initiative to support transdisciplinary multilevel research on the determinants of health disparities. Their novel research approach combines population, clinical, and basic science to elucidate the complex determinants of health disparities. The centers are…
Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms Among Hispanic Elders in Massachusetts
Puerto Rican elders experience high rates of depressive symptomatology that are associated with, but not fully explained by, high numbers of chronic health conditions. Further investigation is needed to both understand and treat this prevalent problem
Allostatic load is associated with chronic conditions in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study
Why ruminators are poor problem solvers
Trends in dietary patterns of Latin American populations
It is important to characterize the level and magnitude of changes in food consumption patterns in Latin American populations as they undergo demographic and developmental transitions because of the effects of such changes on the development and progression of chronic diseases. This paper examines trends in food intake across regions in Latin America. Although trends in apparent food consumption differ in magnitude and timing, the overall pattern…
The Association Between Perceived Discrimination and Allostatic Load in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study
Perceived discrimination remains a common stressor and may be a determinant of AL for Puerto Ricans, although the type of perceived discrimination may have differing effects. Further research is needed to better understand the ways in which major lifetime and everyday perceived discrimination operate to effect physiological systems among Puerto Ricans
Testing for Measurement Invariance in the Satisfaction with Life Scale
Maternal employment and child nutrition in Panama
Beyond cultural factors to understand immigrant mental health
Neighborhood socioeconomic context and change in allostatic load among older Puerto Ricans
Determinants of self-rated health and the role of acculturation
The strongest predictors of poor SRH were the number of existing medical conditions, functional problems, allostatic load and depressive symptoms. Poor SRH was also associated with being female, fewer years of education, heavy alcohol use, smoking, poverty, and low emotional support. More acculturated Puerto Rican adults rated their health more positively, which corresponded to better indicators of physical and psychological health. Additionally,…
Relationship between perceived stress and dietary and activity patterns in older adults participating in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study
Associations of Fast Food Restaurant Availability With Dietary Intake and Weight Among African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study, 2000–2004
Objectives. We examined the associations of fast food restaurant (FFR) availability with dietary intake and weight among African Americans in the southeastern United States. Methods. We investigated cross-sectional associations of FFR availability with dietary intake and body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference in 4740 African American Jackson Heart Study participants (55.2 ±12.6 years, 63.3% women). We estimated FFR availability using circu…
Household headship and child nutrition
Intestinal helminthiases in relation to the socioeconomic environment of Panamanian children
Life events trajectories, allostatic load, and the moderating role of age at arrival from Puerto Rico to the US mainland
Responses to hedonically conflicting social comparisons
Two laboratory studies explored how self‐rated unhappy and happy students balance hedonically conflicting social comparison information, and tested whether unhappy students would be relatively more sensitive to hedonically consistent unfavorable information. In both studies, students working in teams of four competed against one other team on a novel verbal task. First, unhappy participants showed relatively greater sensitivity to undiluted unfav…
Household structure and child nutrition
Race/Ethnic Differences, Skin Tone, and Memory Among Older Latinos in the United States
Findings support the importance of examining self-identified race and skin tone in Latino aging research. Further investigation is needed to understand the stubborn intra-Latino racial disparities in memory performance and surprising adverse cognitive performance among "white"-toned relative to darker-toned Puerto Ricans in Boston
You Probably Won't Notice Any Symptoms
Pregnancy is not a disease or illness, but requires clinical surveillance as life-threatening complications can develop. Preeclampsia, one such potentially serious complication, puts both mother and baby at risk. Self-monitoring blood pressure in the general population is well established, and its potential in pregnancy is currently being explored. In the context of self-monitoring, the information and guidance given to women regarding hypertensi…
Physical Function and Health Status in Aging Puerto Rican Adults
Health status among Puerto Ricans appears to contribute to poor physical function. Targeted interventions to improve strength, endurance, and balance are needed to combat physical frailty and its consequences in this population
Maternal employment and child nutrition in Panama
Intestinal helminthiases in relation to the socioeconomic environment of Panamanian children
Household structure and child nutrition
Rural‐urban variation in the calcium, iron, zinc and copper content of tortillas and intake of these minerals from tortillas by women in Guatemala
Tortillas are central to the traditional Guatemalan diet. This study measured the contents of calcium, iron, zinc and copper in tortillas and assessed the daily intake of these minerals which Kekchi women derived from tortilla intake. Tortillas from 50 households in three rural, two semi‐urban and one very low‐income urban community were found to contain a mean of 108 mg calcium, 1.5 mg iron, 1.8 mg zinc, and 0.2 mg copper per 100 g of edible por…
Rural‐urban variation in limed maize use and tortilla consumption by women in Guatemala
The tortilla, a flat‐cake made of alkali‐treated maize, is an important traditional staple of the Guatemalan diet and a particularly important source of dietary calcium. This cross‐sectional study examined rural‐urban variation in tortilla size and limed maize use in 60 households of Kekchi indigenous people from three rural, two semi‐urban and one very low‐income urban community of Guatemala. The mean weight ± SEM of tortillas from rural areas (…
Household headship and child nutrition
Why ruminators are poor problem solvers
Why are nutritionally stunted children at increased risk of obesity? Studies of metabolic rate and fat oxidation in shantytown children from São Paulo, Brazil
Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms Among Hispanic Elders in Massachusetts
Puerto Rican elders experience high rates of depressive symptomatology that are associated with, but not fully explained by, high numbers of chronic health conditions. Further investigation is needed to both understand and treat this prevalent problem
Relationships Between Use of Television During Meals and Children's Food Consumption Patterns
OBJECTIVE: We examined relationships between the presence of television during meals and children's food consumption patterns to test whether children's overall food consumption patterns, including foods not normally advertised, vary systematically with the extent to which television is part of normal mealtime routines. METHODS: Ninety-one parent-child pairs from suburbs adjacent to Washington, DC, recruited via advertisements and word of mouth, …
Responses to hedonically conflicting social comparisons
Two laboratory studies explored how self‐rated unhappy and happy students balance hedonically conflicting social comparison information, and tested whether unhappy students would be relatively more sensitive to hedonically consistent unfavorable information. In both studies, students working in teams of four competed against one other team on a novel verbal task. First, unhappy participants showed relatively greater sensitivity to undiluted unfav…
Trends in dietary patterns of Latin American populations
It is important to characterize the level and magnitude of changes in food consumption patterns in Latin American populations as they undergo demographic and developmental transitions because of the effects of such changes on the development and progression of chronic diseases. This paper examines trends in food intake across regions in Latin America. Although trends in apparent food consumption differ in magnitude and timing, the overall pattern…
Empirically Derived Eating Patterns Using Factor or Cluster Analysis
This paper reviews studies performed to date that have employed cluster or factor analysis to empirically derive eating patterns. Since 1980, at least 93 studies were published that used cluster or factor analysis to define dietary exposures, of which 65 were used to test hypotheses or examine associations between patterns and disease outcomes or biomarkers. Studies were conducted in diverse populations across many countries and continents and su…
Dietary intake and body mass index in HIV-positive and HIV-negative drug abusers of Hispanic ethnicity
Objective: Malnutrition in drug abusers has been attributed to poor diet. However, previous studies are conflicting. Many studies have not considered possible concurrent HIV disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between drug abuse and dietary intake in Hispanic Americans with and without HIV infection. Design: Dietary intake was measured using 3-day food records and 24-hour dietary recalls in three groups: HIV-posit…
A regional food-frequency questionnaire for the US Mississippi Delta
Objective To describe food sources of nutrient intake for white and African American adults in the Lower Mississippi Delta (LMD), and their use in the development of a regional food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) based on an earlier version of the National Cancer Institute's Health Habits and History Questionnaire. Design We ranked food sources of energy, macronutrients, vitamins and minerals, and examined portion size distributions for 842 white …
The effect of drug abuse on body mass index in Hispanics with and without HIV infection
Objective There is a widely held view that the lower weight of drug abusers is attributable to diet. However, many studies on the dietary intake of drug abusers have failed to find energy insufficiency, while non-dietary factors have rarely been examined. The purpose of this study was to examine non-dietary factors that could affect the weight of drug abusers with and without HIV infection. Design Participants were recruited into one of three gro…
Health disparities between island and mainland Puerto Ricans
Puerto Ricans living on the U.S. mainland and those living in Puerto Rico both need to target lowering their prevalence of obesity and diabetes. For island Puerto Ricans, improved education about the significance of primary prevention and diabetes care is needed. For mainland Puerto Ricans, the accessibility of the primary health care system renders it a potentially effective venue for interventions, particularly for smoking cessation. More studi…
Testing for Measurement Invariance in the Satisfaction with Life Scale
Drug use and weight loss in HIV-infected Hispanic men
Weight loss is an independent risk factor for mortality in HIV but the role of drug use in HIV-related weight loss is not well described. We conducted this study to determine the role of drug use in HIV-related weight loss. Men (n=304), all of whom were Hispanic, were recruited into one of three groups: HIV-infected drug users; HIV-non-infected drug users; and HIV-infected non-drug users. Body mass index (BMI) was measured at successive visits. T…
Approaching Health Disparities From a Population Perspective
Addressing health disparities has been a national challenge for decades. The National Institutes of Health-sponsored Centers for Population Health and Health Disparities are the first federal initiative to support transdisciplinary multilevel research on the determinants of health disparities. Their novel research approach combines population, clinical, and basic science to elucidate the complex determinants of health disparities. The centers are…
Association of Depression, Psycho-Social Stress and Acculturation with Respiratory Disease Among Puerto Rican Adults in Massachusetts
Do dietary patterns in older men influence change in homocysteine through folate fortification? The Normative Aging Study
Objective We aimed to describe the difference in B-vitamin intake and in plasma B-vitamin and homocysteine concentrations before and after folic acid fortification, in relation to dietary patterns. Design The Normative Aging Study (NAS) is a longitudinal study on ageing. Between 1961 and 1970, 2280 male volunteers aged 21–80 years (mean 42 years) were recruited. Dietary intake data have been collected since 1987 and assessment of plasma B vitamin…
Cancer disparities between mainland and island Puerto Ricans
OBJECTIVES: Examination of cancer rates in a single Hispanic subgroup-Puerto Ricans-and comparison of incidence rates among mainland Puerto Ricans living in the United States, island Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico, and U.S. non-Hispanic whites to reveal ethnic-specific cancer patterns and disparities in Puerto Ricans. METHODS: Incidence data were obtained from the cancer registries of Puerto Rico and three U.S. northeastern states (New York, New Je…
The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, a longitudinal cohort study on health disparities in Puerto Rican adults
The enrollment of minority groups presents unique challenges. This report highlights approaches to working with difficult to reach populations, and describes some of the health issues and needs of Puerto Rican older adults. These results may inform future studies and interventions aiming to improve the health of this and similar communities
Validation of a web-based dietary questionnaire designed for the Dash (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet
Objective With the upsurge in online dietary modification programmes, online dietary assessment tools are needed to capture food intake. Although the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is recommended by the US Department of Agriculture, there are no online instruments that capture DASH food servings. Our objective was to assess the validity of a new, short, online dietary questionnaire developed to capture intake of DASH food ser…
Medicine (58 obras) · Demography (32 obras) · Environmental health (32 obras) · Gerontology (30 obras) · Population (27 obras) · Demography (25 obras) · Psychology (25 obras) · Internal Medicine (22 obras) · Nutritional Studies and Diet (18 obras) · Psychiatry (16 obras)